Children of Immigration

Remaking Identities:

   "Immigrants frequently leave behind a host of difficulties, and although in the new land other challenges are ever present, the old ones may make the new ones tolerable" (87).

"But children of immigrants who arrived when they were very young or who were born here will not have the same clear-cut frame of reference against which to measure their current situation" (88).

I found this comparative split between immigrant parents and their potentially young immigrant children to be eye opening. Tying in with the concept of white privilege, should be the idea of "U.S. privilege". The fact that these children grow up in their country viewing the United States through the media filter creates an expectation that their lives will be infinitely better once they get here. For their parents this  perspective can be true due to their dual-frame of reference but for these kids, seeing affluent peers living the life they can not would make it difficult to believe that they can gain this same lifestyle.

"Stonequist contends that marginality is intensified when there are sharp contrasts and hostility between the old and new cultures" (92).

I can not imagine being a child in a new country where you are expected to adhere to the old cultural norms of your former land at home while being subsequently expected to excel in your new culture and assimilate for success. I also though about how it would feel to be an adult and have a feel of incompetency because I rely on my children to communicate for me in the public forum. This was the first time I was able to recognize why many immigrant parents push so hard for their children to maintain the traditions of the "old land".

"Social classes established in other countries can effect stratification in the United States for new immigrants" (94).


I found this portion of the text to be fascinating. It had never occurred to me as an American that an immigrant may come from a country where they were either the upper or middle class and have that identity completely flip when they arrive in the United states. The example of the educated Haitian man having to work as a custodian or the "untouchable" from India becoming and accepted and accomplished member of U.S. society.


"Racism is here. Americans believe they are superior to other races" (96).

These statements made by the immigrant students left me floored. The students went on to identify that many of their teachers deny that they are racist but are. I think this lack of recognition exist all over the world in that every global community thinks they are superior to every other. But the major difference is that due to our overwhelming media influence or society pushes our supposed "superiority" all over the world. It makes sense that these immigrant parents would watch their children gravitating towards our "seductive" media at home and how they would fear a total immersion into U.S. culture would steal their cultural identities from them.

The Children of Immigration in School:

"The days of blue collar workers securing middle class lifestyles is over" (Paraphrased from 124).

When I think about all of the obstacles I have to overcome (loans, full time job, graduate school) in order to secure the profession of teaching I want I have to recognize that for many new immigrants coming to the United States, they will need as much schooling if not more in order to achieve the middle class dream or higher. But the reality of a non-English speaking immigrant entering this country and finding high-level, high-paying employment is rare. This reality gives clarity to why many immigrant children are pushed so hard to achieve academic success. For their parents, it's the only way their children will have opportunity in the U.S.

I didn't personally know how to respond to the data that revealed differences of opinion to school between first generation immigrants and second generation immigrants. I wasn't surprised to see that most white students had a more negative regard for authority. What did surprise me was the huge drop off between first and second generation immigrant groups. It went from being overwhelmingly positive to more like the white students. I was curious as to whether this was a result of cultural influence from the mainstream or if realization of inequalities in this country led these students to be less receptive to school.